1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to L-shaped coaxial connectors and terminals for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 3 shows a conventional connector of this type. A coaxial cable C has a jacket C1, a shield wire C2, a dielectric member C3, and a central conductor C4, which is soldered to a terminal 51 of the connector 50. The terminal 51 has a connection section 52 made by bending a metal piece and a contact section 53. The connection section 52 has a projected portion 52A toward one end and an erected wall 52B at the other end. A slit 52C is provided in the erected wall 52B to position the central conductor C4 in place. The projected portion 52A positions the front end of the central conductor C3. Both the projected portion 52A and the erected wall 52B prevent solder from flowing out of the connection section 52. The contact section 53 consists of a pair of parallel plates extending downwardly from the projected portion 52A.
An insulation block 54 for supporting the terminal 51 has a cylindrical body section 55 and an inner cover section 56. The body section 55 has a central cavity 55A, a flat top face 55B such that the contact section 53 of the terminal 51 is accommodated in the central cavity 55A while the connection section 52 rests on the top face 55B. A shoulder section 57 extends radially from the top of the body section 55 to support the dielectric member 3C of the cable C. The inner cover section 56 and the shoulder section 57 cover the terminal 52.
An outer conductor 58 is made from a metal sheet so as to have a cylindrical section 59 and an outer cover section 60. The cylindrical section 59 accommodates the body section 55 to form an annular space 61 between them. The outer cover section 60 extends laterally from the cylindrical section 59 so as to press down the inner cover section 56 and has a front end crimped around the cable C.
A mating connector 70 has a terminal 71, a dielectric block 72, and an outer conductor 73. The terminal 71 is partially drawn to form a contact projection 71A and has a connection plate 71B. The outer conductor 73 has a cylindrical section 73A, which is inserted into the annular space 61 of the connector 50 to make contact with the cylindrical section 59 while the terminal 71 is fitted into the terminal 53.
However, there has been a demand for a coaxial connector having a small height. The height of the connector in FIG. 3 is equal to the sum of the height of the dielectric body section 55, the diameter of a cable (dielectric member C3), and the thickness of the inner and outer cover sections 56 and 60. The thickness and position of the shoulder section 57 must be considered to reduce the height of the body section 55. The height of the annular space is limited to the height of the outer conductor which is required for stable plugging operation. Since the connection section 52 of the terminal 51 extends up to the shoulder section 57, it is impossible to reduce the length of the connector beyond this point.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a coaxial connector having small height and length and a terminal for the connector.
According to the invention there is provided an L-shaped coaxial connector comprising a terminal having a connection section to which a central conductor of a cable is connected and a contact section extending at right angles from the connection section for contact with a contact section of a mating connector; a dielectric block for supporting the terminal and having a body section with a central cavity for accommodating the contact section and an inner cover section for pressing the connection section of the terminal placed on a top face of the body section; an outer conductor having a cylindrical section for accommodating the body section and an outer cover section for pressing down the inner cover section.
According to the invention, the inner cover section has a length no more than a diameter of the cylindrical section, and the connection section has a height no more than a diameter of dielectric member of the cable placed on the dielectric block. Since the inner cover section falls within the range of the diameter of the cylindrical section, by lowering the top face of the body section it is possible to reduce the height of the connector. In addition, the cylindrical section does not prevent the inner cover section from compressing the dielectric member of a cable, further reducing the height of the connector.
The dielectric block comprises a shoulder section extending radially from the body section and having a support face for supporting the cable. Since the shoulder section is situated at a position different from that of the inner cover section, the cable is deflected and compressed owing to its flexibility and elasticity so that the shoulder section does not increase the connector height. It is preferred that the top face of the dielectric block is lower than the support face of the shoulder section. It is preferred that the dielectric block comprises a gap between the body section and the shoulder section to facilitate deformation of the cable.
The connection section of the terminal has a U-shaped cross-section with a flat portion to which the central conductor of the cable is soldered and a pair of opposed erected walls, one of which has a slit for receiving the central conductor while the other one is opposed to a front end of the central conductor to not only simplify the manufacture of the terminal but also prevent the solder from adhering undesired parts of the terminal.